A groundbreaking discovery by researchers from Queen Mary University of London and other institutions has opened new doors in the treatment of high blood pressure.
They have developed a novel type of CT scan capable of detecting tiny nodules in the adrenal glands, which are often the hidden culprits behind high blood pressure.
For 60 years, these nodules have posed a significant challenge to doctors. Found in 1 in 20 people with high blood pressure, they were hard to detect without a catheter study, a procedure limited to a few hospitals and frequently unsuccessful.
The study involved scanning 128 patients with hypertension caused by the steroid hormone aldosterone.
Astonishingly, in two-thirds of these patients, the excess aldosterone production was traced back to a benign nodule in one of the adrenal glands. These nodules, once identified, could be safely removed.
The new CT scan technique uses a short-acting dose of metomidate, a radioactive dye that specifically targets the aldosterone-producing nodule. Unlike the old catheter test, this scan is quick, painless, and was technically successful in every patient.
Previously, it was challenging to predict which patients would be cured of hypertension through surgical removal of the gland.
However, this new method, when combined with a urine steroid test, accurately identified 18 out of 24 patients who achieved normal blood pressure without medication.
The researchers highlight that these aldosterone-producing nodules are tiny and often missed in regular CT scans.
But when they light up for a few minutes after the injection of the dye, they become the apparent cause of hypertension, which can often be cured. Until now, 99% of these cases went undiagnosed due to the lack of available testing methods.
Intriguingly, the combination of the new CT scan and a urine test not only identifies the presence of these nodules but also predicts which patients can discontinue all blood pressure medication post-treatment.
The discovery holds immense potential in reducing the number of people suffering from high blood pressure, a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke.
The researchers believe that this combination of CT scan and urine test could be lifesaving by identifying patients who would benefit from surgical removal of the nodules.
The hope is for this new CT scan and urine test to become more widely available in hospitals globally, providing a non-invasive and reliable diagnostic tool for high blood pressure caused by aldosterone-secreting nodules.
Further research is planned to assess the effectiveness of this innovative approach in larger patient groups. If successful, this could mark a significant advancement in managing high blood pressure and improving cardiovascular health.
This study, led by Professor Morris Brown and published in Nature Medicine, signifies a major breakthrough in hypertension treatment, potentially changing the lives of millions who suffer from this condition.
If you care about high blood pressure, please read studies that early time-restricted eating could help improve blood pressure, and natural coconut sugar could help reduce blood pressure and artery stiffness.
For more information about blood pressure, please see recent studies about added sugar in your diet linked to higher blood pressure, and results showing vitamin D could improve blood pressure in people with diabetes.
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